In Charlotte's Eyes

ONE: [P] The Falling Action

The drama inside Parker’s heart dissipated for the last two days. It was the afternoon of the final day of the trip. Parker had just finished eating and told Peni he was going to go back to their cabin to do something.

Parker walked down the quiet hallway to their room, but his palms sweat with a bit of nervousness. He felt somewhat confident, but he still couldn't help but worry about what would happen when he finally saw Melody again. He wanted to go and properly thank her in person for what she had done for him. The moment with her a few nights ago felt like a turning point. He wanted to show his gratitude.

He eyed Melody’s door as he entered his shared dorm. He quietly walked into the bathroom and switched the faucet on. Water crashed against the sink as he grabbed his toothbrush, slathering a layer of white paste onto the bristles. He quickly rinsed the brush with water and began brushing his teeth. As he brushed, he continued to run simulations in his mind of how he would react to seeing that familiar shape again. Would he revert back to his depressed attitude again?

Part of him considered not doing this. If he was confident in himself that he got the push to move on, why was he risking falling back by doing this?

He took a bit of water in his palm and rinsed his mouth out. He spit into the sink. He looked at himself in the mirror, the right side of his lip stained with a bit of froth. He furrowed his brows, a gruff hum escaping him.

He had to do this. If he couldn't do this without reverting, he wasn't actually ready to move on. If he wasn't ready, he'd have to try harder.

He took a small towel and wiped away the bit of froth on his lip. He rinsed his brush off and left. He wavered a little when he left the cabin. Melody may not even be home in the first place. He took a breath, re-centering his determination. If she wasn't there, then she wasn't there. It wouldn't be the end of the world. He'd come back later, then.

He rotated to face Melody's door. He looked to each of his sides. No one else was around. He brought his hand up and knocked on the door a bit louder than he intended to.

“...” He waited patiently. For a split second, he concluded that she probably wasn't home.

Then the door gently shifted open. A lump caught in his throat. He flinched, eyes wide. Melody's frame peeked through the open door. “Oh.” She pulled the door all the way wide. “Hi, Parker.”

Parker was caught completely unready. He studied her, looking for some sort of natural reaction—for anything that told him this was a bad idea. “Uh-, hi. Sorry if I, uh, interrupted anything.”

Rocky start. He focused on all the comparable things between her and Charlotte’s physical appearances. “You didn't interrupt anything.” She casually put her hands on her hips. “What brings you here?”

He didn't feel anything alarming yet. “Heh.” He smirked nervously. “I-I know it's been a few days. But, I..,” His eyes drafted away. He didn't feel any sense of dread. He broke into a sudden smile, snickering. He looked back down at her. He didn't feel any sense of dread. “I wanted to- properly.. thank you.” He grinned openly. “For what you did for me.”

She had a raised brow. She returned the grin, tilting slightly to the side. “Yeah?”

“Yes.” He nodded. “We only met each other on that same day. You didn't have to comfort me the way you did.”

“Of course I had to.” She replied, smirking.

He shook his head, unconvinced—though a smile remained on his face. “What makes you say that?”

She hummed. “Well, other than the fact that it's something any decent person should do,” She paused, looking him in the eye. “Parker, I've had to act out many depressing scenes as a voice actress. Even so, your story was more gut-wrenching than almost anything else I’d been a part of before.”

Parker looked down, slightly unbelieving. Perhaps she was exaggerating. “Heh.” He shook his head, a hand caressing his forehead.

“It sounded like something straight out of a novel. I had to do something to help you.”

He looked down at her, head tilting slightly. He smiled. “..Yeah? Huh.”

“Consider me the turning point; the climax.”

He broke into a laugh. All of this was so on the nose. It was like she could read his mind. “..I do.” He paused, trying to find the right words to express all his gratuitous feelings. “I feel.. more seen. And I feel comforted because of you.”

She stifled a laugh, leaning on the wall, arms crossed. “Hey, if it really helps you, we can remain in touch if you want.”

He thought about that suggestion deeply. “Hmmmm..” He closed his eyes. He took a deep breath, then reopened his eyes. “Melody,—I don't mean this in a rude way—if you were anyone else, I'd say yes, absolutely. But.. I feel like I have to decline.. for myself.”

She didn't seem disheartened by his rejection at all. “Hm.” She nodded, convinced. “I like that answer, Parker.”

“I won't forget about what you did for me, though.” He nodded confidently. “I promise that.”

She stood up straight. “Hey, I'm just glad I could help you out, Parker.” She answered earnestly.

“Thank you. I can't express it enough.” He took a quick breath. Mission accomplished. He was confident that he was ready. He could finally get out of this rut. “I do need to go, though.” He awkwardly chuckled. “I can't keep my sister waiting too long.”

“I understand.” Melody grinned, turning away slightly. “I hope you have a great rest of your life.” She began closing the door

“Maybe we'll see each other again.”

She paused, humming, amused. “When you're finally over her.”

“Yeah.” He agreed quietly. The door shut.

He turned away. Off into the sunset he went, this dark stretch almost all the way behind him.